The Jaffrey Meetinghouse Committee has raised more than two-thirds of the money needed to replace the building’s aging wood shingle roof.
The committee will continue to raise funds for the project – $70,013.80 of the estimated $106,500 project cost has been raised to date – with the remaining funds to be requested in a “not to exceed” warrant article at Town Meeting in March.
“We are hoping to begin construction in May,” said Stephenson. “I’m told it will take about a week or so to do.”
The committee decided in 2015 the roof needed to be repaired after noticing that heavy snow and ice buildup had caused a leak in the roof and water damage to the ceiling. The current shingles are 21 years old.
The project calls for the use of Alaskan cedar shingles, a durable wood that if installed correctly will last 50 years.
The proposed warrant article will not have a tax impact, according to Stephenson, as the money requested would come from the Municipal Building Maintenance Trust Fund.
The warrant article will specify a certain amount of money, which can be amended at Town Meeting if more funds are raised between the time the dollar amount is set and the meeting.
Stephenson said bids for the project will be collected between Feb. 2 and March 2, so he will have an exact figure for the project by Town Meeting.
The project is estimated to cost around $100,000. Stephenson said there is also a $6,500 architect fee involved.
The largest grant or donation received to date is a $54,600 LCHIP grant. The grant was formally approved by the town’s Select Board on Jan. 9 after a public hearing.
The Meetinghouse Committee has also received $1,802.80 from the Terra Nova Trust, $3,000 from the Bean Family Foundation, $1,611 in an anonymous gift, $5,000 from the Jaffrey Center Village Improvement Society, $2,000 from the Jaffrey Historic District Commission, and $2,000 from the Jaffrey Historical Society.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.